


Downtime

by MOCHS



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, Slightly Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 21:26:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18039338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MOCHS/pseuds/MOCHS
Summary: Jaune and Pyrrha enjoy a little downtime as friends. Set shortly after 'Dance Dance Infiltration'.





	Downtime

The party had went on way past midnight with no signs of abating. On the contrary, the students appeared to be more invigorated than before and the teachers were no where in sight.

Couples sequestered to various spots around the hall, seeking some precious alone time as they slow danced and got lost in their own world.

Pyrrha averted her gaze when she saw a pair getting all touchy feely with one another and there was a faint blush on her cheeks as her thoughts strayed to a _certain_ blonde...

They dissipated quickly as the aforementioned blonde returned to the table, balancing four cups of water in his grasp.

"The punch bowl ran out," Jaune said to his team who were taking a break from all the dancing.

In response, Ren reached a hand out to gently shake Nora's shoulder. The pint sized bruiser was dozing on the table, all tired out. She buried her nose against the sleeves of Ren's jacket which was draped across her back and she murmured, "Pancakes."

"It would be best to leave her be," Ren replied eventually, taking two cups of water and promptly drinking them on Nora's behalf.

"Thank you, Jaune," Pyrrha said and drank the precious, cooling liquid. It was a refreshing change from the sticky sweet punch.

The team sat together in silence for a while. After entertaining a handful of requests to show off their dance moves, they were content to rest and enjoy each other's company.

Jaune looked around the table, scrutinizing each teammate. Though Pyrrha was a little worn out, his partner still had some fire in her to keep going. Nora was fast asleep, and Ren looked like he would come close to succumbing to the effects of the Sandman if he remained still at the table for the next few minutes.

"We sure had a lot of fun today. Shall we call it a night?" Jaune asked and his two teammates stirred from their positions, nodding in agreement.

Ren stood up and with practiced ease, he gingerly scooped Nora into his arms without waking her up. It was something he was accustomed to all those years that they've been at each other's sides. She would fall asleep anywhere and he would be there to carry her to bed so she would have a good night's rest.

Nora let out a snore and the rest of Team JNPR had to stifle a laugh. Jaune quickly swept up the empty cups on the table and promptly tossed them into the trash.

Bidding Team RWBY and the rest of their friends goodnight, the four youths made their way back to their dorm room.

Jaune and Pyrrha walked side by side in silence, trailing behind Ren and Nora.

Away from all the ruckus of the dance floor, Pyrrha slowly recalled the events that transpired mere hours ago. The redhead thought she would be spending it alone on the sidelines as usual, watching with envy as her peers had fun. Little did she know that Jaune would follow up on his Arc promise and give her the best dance experience she would ever have in her life.

She would commit every touch of his hands against her own, along with every twirl and spin on the dance floor, to her memory. It was certainly a different experience from what she had back in Mistral.

Beside her, Jaune was having similar thoughts too. His partner had wished that she would be at the dance with someone like him and he was glad that he could fulfill it. He would do anything to make her happy.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself, Pyrrha," the blonde leader spoke, snapping Pyrrha out of her thoughts.

She beamed a megawatt smile at him, "I certainly did. Though it looks like you could have danced till dawn."

Her team leader showed no signs of fatigue and she knew he merely stopped dancing out of respect for his tired teammates.

The blonde looked down sheepishly. "Yeah, my sisters trained me well. We would hang out until morning in one of the lounge rooms."

"It must be nice," Pyrrha replied politely. Her parents always insisted that she and her siblings get a good night's rest. It was only on occasions where she was invited to a glamorous event, was she allowed to stay up a little longer than usual.

Noticing her subdued response, Jaune glanced at her worriedly, "I'm sorry Pyrrha, did I say something wrong?"

Alarmed, Pyrrha shook her head and her red ponytail flew side to side wildly behind her, "No, no! You didn't offend me, Jaune. I just- well, my siblings and I have never done such a thing before."

"Danced?" Jaune's eyebrows went up high, disappearing into his blonde bangs.

Pyrrha let out a soft chuckle, "No Jaune, I meant my siblings and I have never stayed up late before. Oh-!"

She stumbled slightly as her heels suddenly broke. Even though she had managed to stop herself from falling, Jaune had already reached out with both hands, one grasping her bare arm firmly and the other supporting the small of her back.

Her cheeks turned a little pink and she simply stepped out of her heels, leaving her barefoot. "I'm fine, thank you," Pyrrha replied before her partner could ask if she was alright. She glanced at the hand on her arm and she smiled, "It seems your reaction time has improved too. Good job."

Jaune returned the smile with a grin of his own, glad to know that his training had paid off. He released his hold on her. "Looks like your heels must have had seen a lot of dancing through the years."

"I've only worn them once," the redhead said.

"What?! You should get a refund if they're still under warranty!"

Pyrrha shook her head again, "I've had this pair for _years_ but they're hardly worn." She reached down and fingered the broken stiletto pieces, throwing them into the depths of one heel. "I bought it for the first dinner party I was invited to but they requested for me to show up in my armour. All the invitations I've received since then have always asked me to dress up in my battle gear. Except for one which was a formal ball. I guess my heels disintegrated from the lack of use and the humidity in Mistral."

She then picked up the heels and allowed the straps to dangle from her fingers.

Jaune watched her in silence and an idea formed in his head. "Hey, why don't we go shopping in town this weekend? I'm sure there will be a lot more balls throughout our four years at Beacon. Let's get you a good pair of new heels that can last!"

The redhead stared at him in disbelief, "Jaune, you don't have to."

He waved it off, "Eh, don't worry about it. My sisters dragged me around to shop too. I'm used to it. It can be my treat too, a small token of appreciation for helping me to train. Please let me, Pyrrha."

His blue eyes gazed into her green ones, imploring her to accept his request. How could she say no?

"Alright. This weekend, then."

Pyrrha looked ahead and noticed that Ren had already walked out of their line of sight. They better hurry back to their room soon, it would be difficult for him to open the door with Nora in his arms. She was about to take a step forward when Jaune stopped her again.

"You shouldn't be walking around barefooted. What if your feet get cut on something?"

She smiled again. "I'm certain the floors of Beacon are spotlessly clean. Professor Goodwitch makes sure of it," her thoughts wandered back to the food fight at the start of the semester and the look on Glynda's enraged face was a sight to remember.

"Still, I shouldn't let my partner walk around without shoes. C'mon, I'll give you a piggyback ride. My sisters did that for me when I was little."

Jaune remained insistent and he bent down in front of her. Pyrrha hesitated.

"You did say I should carry weights to improve my strength. I guess this could be training too," the blonde said when he noticed his friend wasn't climbing onto his back.

The redhead relented and sliding the straps of her heels up to her wrists, she wrapped her arms around his chest, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Jaune was momentarily stunned by the soft swell of her breasts against his back and he shook those thoughts out of his head as his arms supported Pyrrha's legs.

"Ready?" He asked and stood up.

She nodded against his shoulder with a soft 'mm' noise. It was a good thing he could not see her face as it had deepened into a darker shade of red.

They journeyed back to the dorm room quietly, enjoying the sounds of the night as owls hooted outside the windows. It was yet another moment that the duo would cherish and remember forever.

They managed to catch up with Ren who was turning into the hallway that led to the dorms. He raised an eyebrow at the strange sight. Had his teammates advanced their relationship that quickly?

"Pyrrha's heels broke and I didn't want her walking around barefoot," Jaune said, noticing Ren's inquiring look.

"That's very thoughtful of you," the raven haired boy replied somewhat cryptically, eyeing at the blushing redhead with what appeared to be a sly grin.

Team JNPR paused at their door and there was a brief three way glance on whom should open it. Pyrrha quickly released one arm around Jaune and fished out her scroll from her pocket. The blonde bent down slightly and the redhead waved the device in front of the door knob. It clicked and swung open.

Ren deposited Nora onto her bed while Jaune knelt down, allowing Pyrrha to climb off his back. They took turns washing up in their ensuite bathroom and it was close to 3am when they were dressed for bed. It was a good thing that classes were temporarily suspended tomorrow.

"Goodnight, everyone. I hope you you guys had fun," Jaune said after nestling under the covers.

"We did. And I'm sure Nora shares that sentiment too," Ren's voice drifted over from the other side of the room and it was accompanied by a loud snore from Nora.

Pyrrha's voice rang out from Jaune's side, "So, have I. Thank you all for such a wonderful night. Let's get some rest now, though. While we can."

Ever the mother hen, Pyrrha was always encouraging her teammates to sleep early. It was a habit that rubbed off on her.

After another round of bidding each other good night, Team JNPR finally fell into a deep sleep, happy and content.

* * *

"So Pyrrha, are you ready to head into the city?" Jaune asked as he looked into the mirror, straightening the tie on his uniform. For some reason, the shopkeepers in Vale tended to give discounts for students of Beacon when they were in uniform.

"Wait, you two are heading into the city?! Why didn't I know about it?" Nora exclaimed as she bounded out of her bed and stood nose to nose against the team leader.

Jaune leaned back as far as he could, thinking up a quick reply under stress, "Well err, you were asleep that night when Pyrrha's heels broke after the dance so I offered to help buy her a new pair. You and Ren are welcomed to join us though! We can have a friendly team excursion to town!"

Her pale blue eyes searched his darker blue ones with interest, smirking as she did. This was a rare opportunity for Pyrrha to spend time with Jaune, _alone_ no less! "Nah, we already have cooking plans anyway. Bring back some syrup pleaaase?"

"Nora, we already have a crate of syrup. We don't need more," Ren replied sternly, casting a gaze at the sizeable box on Nora's table.

"We could always make an order through the system when you're running low, Nora. I'm sure they provide syrup deliveries to Beacon so you don't have to make continuous trips to the city," Pyrrha finally spoke up after watching their light-hearted banters with each other.

Ren shot the redhead a worried look. The advantage of personally going to the city was that they were limited by the amount of hands that were available to carry groceries so Nora could never purchase what wasn't necessary.

With the system, Ren was concerned that Nora would order whatever she fancied.

The short girl placed a chin on her hand in thought, "Hmm... That is true but I don't want them to break any of my precious syrup during transport though! Plus, I like the scent as I carry them."

Jaune cleared his throat and everyone turned their attention to their team leader, "Sorry but Pyrrha and I really need to catch the next shuttle. Since Nora still has plenty of syrup, we'll make our decision some other time, okay?"

Nora pouted and agreed to let them go on their journey. Both the leader and his partner quickly took off, sprinting down the maze of corridors, much to the amusement of the other students.

Pyrrha made sure to maintain her pace beside Jaune, so he wouldn't be discouraged by his slightly slower speed. He had made vast improvements on his stamina the past few months but he wasn't at her level just yet. Plus, she did not wear her tights today, knowing she would be trying on heels. If she ran any faster, there might be a risk of indecent exposure.

The duo made it to the shuttle just in time and the doors swung shut behind them a few seconds later. Jaune dropped to his knees and panted heavily, catching his breath. Pyrrha was breathing deeply as well and it took a couple of minutes before both of them could conduct a conversation.

"We should leave ten minutes beforehand next time," Jaune spoke as colour returned to his cheeks.

"And try not to mention the town in Nora's presence," Pyrrha added and her partner nodded in agreement. Both took their seats and enjoyed their uneventful shuttle ride.

Fifteen minutes later they touched down and were at a shoe shop named "Violet's". A simple name for a simple establishment that sold good footwear at reasonable prices.

"How can I assist you today?" Violet asked the two Beacon students who just stepped into her shop. She had a soft spot for the students in the academy as most of them purchased their shoes from her throughout their time in Beacon.

"I'm helping my friend select a pair of heels. Do you have any recommendations?" Jaune replied and Pyrrha's heart clenched slightly at the word 'friend'. Still, it was better than nothing.

Violet turned her attention to the redhead, "Well, do you have a colour in mind? And any preference for the height of the heel?"

"Black and no taller than three inches please. Oh and something that can withstand four years of dancing."

There was a slight twinkle in Violet's eyes. "Ah, I suggest two inches instead of three. Your feet and ankles will thank me. Ozpin loves his students to relax and have fun so expect such dances to be frequent."

Pyrrha smiled at Violet's genuine warmth, "I shall follow your advice, ma'am."

The shop owner grinned and disappeared to the back of the shop before returning with three boxes, "These are black heels in different styles. Take your time and try them on."

Violet handed the first box to Pyrrha and the redhead opened it, finding a black pair of strappy heels within. She slipped them on, fixing the buckles snugly against her ankles, and practiced walking in them.

The shopowner chuckled, "I suggest you try dancing in them too, dear. I think your friend could help with that."

The door to the shop opened with a chime, signalling the entrance of a new customer.

"I'll leave you two alone for now. Give me a wave when you're done."

With that, Violet left the teens alone and Jaune stepped up, "So, would you want to try a slow dance first?"

Pyrrha nodded and slid her hands up his sleeves, careful to look away from him lest he saw the faint blush on her cheeks. Their bare hands touched and it felt _wonderful_.

Both of them were recreating the moment from that night in at the back of the shop. Only this time, it was just the two of them sans classmates and team members. There was no need to speak as they moved in sync... until Pyrrha felt her little toes slipping out of the footwear.

"Wait," the redhead said and she glanced down. True enough, her small toes were out even though the heels were a perfect fit for her.

Jaune moved out of her hold and fished out a pair of peep toe pumps from the second box and presented it to his partner, "I guess you should try the next pair."

The heels were adequate and held up during their little dance session but Pyrrha was still uneasy about exposing any part of her feet.

Finally she tried on the Mary-Jane style heels which provided support and total coverage of her toes. For one last time, Jaune held her and they swayed. This time, Pyrrha was totally comfortable with her choice of heels and she had the courage to gaze into Jaune's eyes.

Both of them were lost in the dance and it was perfect. Their faces steadily drew closer until Pyrrha heard a high pitched shriek.

"Oh my, are you Pyrrha Nikos?! The Mistral tournament champion? Can I have a picture please?" The customer that Violet was serving just noticed Pyrrha hiding at the back of the shop.

"Of course..." Pyrrha replied with her usual politeness and put on a smile.

The fan practically skipped towards her and pulled out her scroll, thrusting it into Jaune's grasp. "Do you mind helping me take a photo please?"

The blonde leader nodded and slid the edges of the scroll open, activating the camera function as the fan cosied up to her idol.

Pyrrha automatically wrapped an arm around the fan's shoulder and smiled for the camera. Jaune clicked away, giving the fan a few images to savour.

"Is Violet your new sponsor? Are you endorsing her? I can't wait to tell everyone that you're wearing her shoes!" The fan asked as she took the scroll back from Jaune.

Pyrrha shook her head, "No, I'm just shopping..."

Deciding that it was time to intervene, Violet guided the overzealous fan away from the redhead. "I believe she still needs more time to decide her purchase. I don't want to interrupt her busy schedule by delaying her any longer."

The fan made what sounded like a small whine and shouted "I love you, Pyrrha!" before Violet expertly maneuvered her to the cashier.

"Do you always get noticed in Mistral?" Jaune broke the awkward silence that descended between them.

"I'm afraid that would be the case. That's why I chose to attend Beacon," Pyrrha replied and her partner nodded in understanding.

"Any way, have you decided which pair of shoes you wanna get?"

Pyrrha smiled and pointed to the one at her feet, "This set is adequate and comfortable."

"I'm glad to hear that," Violet's voice rung out from behind the duo. "I'll be happy to give an additional discount for a tournament champion too."

Pyrrha shook her head, "No, please. That would be unnecessary. I wouldn't want to impose on your hospitality. I wasn't expecting special treatment when I stepped into your shop."

"My dear, I already knew who you were. I've seen my fair share of tournament matches on TV. You're so polite and humble, Miss Nikos. I like that in a customer," Violet responded kindly with a motherly grin.

Pyrrha was silent for a moment as she processed the shopkeeper's words. Most sponsors wanted her because she was famous. Violet was one of the rare few like Jaune who saw her for who she was. A warm feeling was pooling in her chest and it made her happy.

She slid the heels off and placed them back in the box, "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Violet. I'll be sure to treat this pair of heels well."

Violet waved a hand dismissively, "Oh you don't have to be so formal with me. Just 'Violet' would do."

Ringing up the purchase into the cash register, Jaune reached into his wallet and pulled out two notes of fifty lien. Pyrrha was still reluctant and embarrassed that he was paying but the blonde reassured her, "A promise is a promise. You deserve it after all your hard work."

Grinning slightly from what appeared to be a blossoming romance in front of her, Violet packed the box into a nondescript paper bag and handed it over to Jaune along with his change, "Have a good day, you two."

The teens bid Violet a cheery farewell and departed the shop.

"Thank you again, Jaune. Though you don't need to carry my bag for me. I can hold it," Pyrrha said as she extended a hand out, gesturing that he hand over the shopping bag to her.

With a small nod, he passed it to her and their fingers brushed against each other, sending a small jolt of electricity between them.

Pyrrha's cheeks grew red again and she looked away. Jaune gazed in the direction she was staring at, thinking she was hungry as there was a small cafe in her line of sight.

"Are you hungry, Pyrrha? Shall we grab a bite here? Do you want food from Mistral? We can look around," Jaune blabbered and Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Jaune, I've spent seventeen years eating Mistral food. I rather sample what Vale has to offer."

"Oookay. How does burgers sound? I heard the other students talking about a place in town that served them at a good price."

Pyrrha smiled, "Burgers sounds good. How about you let me treat you this time? You've been working hard with training, schoolwork, and leading the team. You deserve a break too." She smiled at him hopefully and Jaune grinned back, silently agreeing to the arrangement.

The blonde teen unlocked his scroll and did a quick search of the burger place. Looking around and glancing back at the map on his phone, he turned his body towards the city square.

"It should be this way. Come on, let's go and beat the lunch crowd."

They found the establishment a few minutes later and were promptly seated in a small booth at a quiet corner of the restaurant.

"Just input your order into the scroll on the wall when you're done," the chirpy waitress said with a smile and scooted off to attend to the other diners.

The duo began to flip through the menu. Not only were they good for burgers, it seemed they were popular for sandwiches too. The picture of the luscious tomato slice that was peeking out from under the sandwich bread made Pyrrha salivate.

"I think I'll have the club sandwich," the redhead said as she placed her order into the scroll.

"Good choice. I guess I'll be going for their signature burger with double cheese. Do you want any drinks?" Jaune asked, looking into his partner's vivid green eyes.

Pyrrha shook her head, "Just water would do, thanks."

Jaune chose his burger and selected "2" quantities of iced water before pressing the "Submit Order" button when he was done.

"Alright, the order is sent. I hope the food is good as they've said. Are club sandwiches your favourite, Pyrrha?"

"Actually, I prefer egg mayo more but the tomato in the picture just looked so good. It's no surprise that you went for the burger, you tend to wolf down your beef at meal times."

The blonde leader smiled at his partner, "You're so observant, Pyrrha."

"A keen eye is a good skill to have as a Huntsman. Sometimes you only have a few seconds before making a critical decision on the battlefield. You're already a good strategist, Jaune. With more practice in observation, I'm sure you will excel," Pyrrha replied sincerely and for the umpteen time, Jaune was grateful for having her.

The duo continued to make small talk, conversing about many topics under the Sun, ranging from schoolwork to family to childhood stories.

"And that's how I was born, according to my sisters," Jaune ended his fascinating tale and Pyrrha couldn't help but chuckle at the funny parts of the story.

They were interrupted by the bubbly waitress from before, "Here you go, two waters, one club sandwich, and one signature burger. Enjoy your meal and have a nice day!" She laid the cups and plates on the table and went off.

Pyrrha picked up a knife and fork and began to cut into the bread. Jaune used the hand sanitiser located at the side of the table before picking up the burger to take a bite.

"Mm, this is good!" The blonde said after a few mouthfuls. "How's your sandwich?"

"It's good. The chips on the side aren't your ordinary ones from a bag. I can tell they're made from scratch," Pyrrha replied and could see her partner eyeing her chips. His sides contained fries and coleslaw so it was no doubt he was curious about the chips. "Do you want to try some?"

The redhead then transferred a couple from her plate to his with a fork and he quickly picked one up and stuffed it into his mouth. He nodded in agreement.

"This is delicious!" Jaune exclaimed and noticed Pyrrha using utensils to eat her sandwich. "Hey, you know that don't have to be so polite around me. Feel free to eat the sandwich with your hands."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow as she laid down her cutlery, "You mean the proper way to eat sandwiches and burgers is with my hands?"

Suddenly, she felt a little ashamed by her lack of proper conduct in a social setting. Jaune noticed her embarrassment and he panicked, "Nono! There's no right or wrong way to eat them!" He laid down his burger and quickly picked up a set of utensils, cutting into his bread and meat rapidly. Ketchup oozed onto his plate as he did so.

"See, you can eat them with a fork too. No biggie!"

Pyrrha laughed heartily and wiped the happy tears from her eyes, "Jaune, it's alright. You can continue to eat your burger the way you want to."

"Nah, it's okay. Having it in bite sized pieces is good too!" Jaune replied optimistically as he ate a portion of his food with a fork like a gentleman.

Encouraged by her leader's actions, Pyrrha dispensed some hand sanitiser onto her hands and ate her sandwich. There was something unique in eating her food with bare hands. Maybe some people did not like biting onto metal cutlery. Plus, licking the sauce and salt off her fingers felt good too.

"This method of eating is rather... interactive and fun," Pyrrha said after eating half of her sandwich and laying the rest on the plate, wiping her hands on the napkin provided.

Jaune nodded, "And that's how food fights start too."

Both of them had to suppress a chuckle as the memory of the food fight from the start of the semester surfaced in their minds.

Jaune placed his utensils down and sipped his glass of water. "This way of eating is neater, you don't get any accidental spills on your clothes," he said after cleansing his palate. There were still some occasions in Beacon where he had to wash stubborn food stains from his uniform after eating finger food. Maybe he should make a habit to eat with a knife and fork more often.

"It's good to learn all methods of anything," Pyrrha said after a moment of silence. That's why they made good partners, influencing each other with knowledge and quirky skills.

"Yeah," Jaune whispered as he got lost in thought. "We should do this more often as partners and with the team. Hanging out in town instead of being cooped up in Beacon all the time."

"I would like that. I'm sure Nora and Ren feel the same too. Though we have to stop Nora from purchasing too much syrup if we ever make a trip to the town market."

Jaune snorted, "We'll have to impose a rule then."

The duo continued to have the rest of their meal in peace, exchanging ideas on what to do in town.

Pyrrha felt completely at ease. It was a wonderful day out with Jaune as she thanked him by treating him to the meal as promised. The redhead looked forward to more outings with him and her teammates.

Jaune on the other hand, was slowly seeing Pyrrha in a new light, eager to know her better. Not as a teammate, but something _more_.

* * *

"Uncle Jaune? Were you listening?" There was a tug on his hand and Jaune snapped out of his daydream, realising that his mind had wandered after looking at a pair of black shoes on display.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry Garnet, got lost in thought." Jaune apologized to his young niece and the little redheaded girl giggled.

"Mommy said you do that sometimes. Anyway, can I have that, Uncle Jaune?" Garnet pointed to the pair of shoes he was looking at.

Jaune had offered to help his sister for today. She was frazzled with planning a birthday party for her son and at the same time, she needed to help Garnet acquire a pair of dancing shoes for a dance recital.

Seeing how little time he spent with his immediate family, he proposed an offer she could not refuse. He would take his niece out for a shopping trip.

"You need to try them on first, Garnet," Jaune explained gently and he took the shoes off the display before guiding his niece to a bench.

Garnet unstrapped the buckles on her shoes and slid on the pair of black Mary Janes that Uncle Jaune took for her. She wiggled her toes and stood up.

"I like it!" The girl grinned and Jaune chuckled.

"You have to practice your dance moves in them, honey. Make sure you don't kick them off by accident."

"Dance with me Uncle Jaune!" Garnet stretched out her arms towards her uncle and he took the lead, spinning her around in gentle circles. The back of the shop was soon filled with high pitched squeals and laughter, much to the amusement of the shopkeeper.

"I didn't know you were a dancer!" Garnet squealed innocently and Jaune _almost_ stopped. Her words were reminiscent of another redhead from years ago... A woman he spent so long to get over.

Jaune eventually forgave himself and her actions but the tender pain of first love forever remained in his heart. He could not bear to love another again. Not in _that_ way.

"These things happen when you grow up with seven sisters," Jaune replied and his niece looked at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Really? Mommy never said you could dance!"

"It's something I've not done for a long time," the blonde replied softly.

Garnet continued staring at him, why did Uncle Jaune look so sad? One moment he was smiling when he spun her around, the next he became quiet.

"I would like this pair of shoes please, Uncle Jaune. They made you smile when we were dancing together. I want to keep dancing to make you and _everyone_ happy!"

Her words warmed Jaune's heart and a genuine smile graced his face. He ruffled his niece's red hair affectionately, "Okay Garnet, since you asked so nicely."

The little girl took off the black Mary Jane shoes and handed them to her uncle. As the shopkeeper processed the payment, Jaune could have sworn he saw a _familiar_ shade of crimson and gold out of the corner of his eye.

He turned but saw nothing. Maybe it was a trick of the light. Jaune shrugged it off, it was probably his imagination. Plus, he couldn't go down that slope again. Not anymore.

Happy with his purchase, he exited the store with Garnet, looking forward to spending some downtime his niece. Some day he will tell her the story of his first dance with a girl that wasn't his sister.

In the distance, the apparition of Pyrrha Nikos smiled at the two and she faded into the wind. She would always be watching over him as she promised back in the Emerald Forest all those years ago.

**Author's Note:**

> If you find this fic familiar, this is because I originally posted it on FF.net. 
> 
> I immediately thought of writing this fic after watching the heart wrenching Volume 3 finale all those years ago...
> 
> I always imagined Jaune gradually seeing Pyrrha in a new light, perhaps even thinking of her as girlfriend material, after the dance. So there is a tiny bit of blossoming sexual attraction on his part.
> 
> I had a few ideas of ending this fic when I first had it drafted. Should I end it on a happy note when they're done with their burgers? Should Jaune have a daughter after the timeskip? Or maybe it is his friend's kid? In the end, since he does have so many sisters, I felt that it would be natural for him to spend time with his own relatives.
> 
> I don't imagine Jaune falling in love again after being so traumatized that his first love died so tragically. Or maybe the RWBY writers would prove me wrong in subsequent volumes?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this bittersweet story. I wanted the characters to be happy and have a good time as well as giving a brief outlook of what would happen in the future.


End file.
